In recent years, it has become essential for publicists to offer some digital services, but the wealth of digital opportunities for promoting new books and authors has expanded, so in this year’s Freelance Publicity Roundup, we highlight some publicists who work solely within the digital realm.
Jim Hanas, Director of Social Media at Sonnet Media, says the shift towards digital media changes the way publicists need to see their roles. “Even 15 years ago, the borders between journalism and publicity were straightforward… But now there are so many more options—as well as so much more competition. So in some cases, [as a publicist,] it makes more sense to just create the content yourself—and take it directly to your audience—rather than expend the resources trying to get a media outlet to create it for you.”
One way in which digital-only publicists are creating these outlets is by using their expertise to train authors in how to most effectively self-promote on the internet. “To be honest, online PR is not rocket science,” says Fauzia Burke, Founder and President of FSB Associates. “A diligent author can do a great job. However, done well, it is time-consuming and labor-intensive work. We’ve been building relationships with online media for 15 years so our in-house database is a big asset to us. We also keep copious notes on the likes and dislikes of online editors and bloggers which helps us target the right media for the right project.”
In fact, if an author can effectively communicate through social media platforms, he or she even has the potential to inspire stories or headlines, instead of requesting them. “What we are seeing is that journalists are increasingly heading online to look for story ideas and sources when they need interviews—which means that Google can often be an author’s best publicist,” says Rusty Shelton, a Principal at Shelton Interactive.
With authors being put on the spot to do more and more of their own promotion, one wonders what role publicists will have in the future as up-and-coming generations become more digital-savvy. But when it comes to perspective and strategy, publicists still offer important insights. “The challenge authors face is that they are often too close to it and can’t separate themselves from their message,” says publicist Penny Sansevieri.
So while authors now have more tools at their disposal to promote their books themselves, digital-only publicists use their traditional PR experience to translate online presence into sales. It’s not enough for authors to be on the internet; they need to focus their message through a strategic online campaign.
As publicist Cindy Ratzlaff says, “Being active on social platforms can be like producing a television show all about the author. It’s live. It’s available on demand and it’s highly focused on the author’s genre or subject matter.”
You can purchase the full Publishing Trends Freelance Publicists Contact Sheet 2011 by going to our Scribd store here.
